Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King said: “The last year has held many highlights for the hospitality industry, from the King’s Coronation to England’s success in the Women’s World Cup, people have come together to celebrate in our pubs. Our team members and pubs have once again shown how important they are to their local communities, raising an incredible £3.5 million for Macmillan Cancer Support, and I’m proud as a business we have continued investing right across the country as well as providing jobs and valuable training opportunities.
“However, challenges remain. We have continued to see the cost of doing business rise, putting increasing pressure on pub operators. We have welcomed the much-needed respite that the Government has provided to our tenanted pubs this year through extending the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality business rates relief scheme and freezing the small business rates multiplier. But, with wages and the overall regulatory burden rising, we need to ensure regulation, in particular business rates, is fair and proportionate for the hospitality sector, to encourage investment and stimulate growth across the industry.
“As we enjoy a Christmas period without disruption from lockdown restrictions or severe rail strikes for the first time since 2019, we are hopeful that the year ahead may be a brighter one for the industry. With a General Election on the horizon, we hope to see politicians on all sides recognise the importance of the hospitality industry to the economy and local communities by securing its long-term future and creating a regulatory system in which it can thrive.”
An image of Nick can be downloaded here
Contact: Harry Vavasour, HVavasour@headlandconsultancy.com
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